There is a need in various fields of endeavor for providing an adjustable termination to a cord or the like. Cord locks have been developed for this purpose which include telescoping cylinders having lateral apertures urged apart by a spring. The cylinders are manually urged toward one another against the force of the biasing spring to align the apertures, whereby the cord, which is smaller than the apertures, can be freely drawn through the lock, or conversely the lock may be moved along the cord. When the cylinders are released the spring causes opposing edges of the apertures in the cylinders to clamp the cord.
Such cord locks initially were made of metal, and presented many disadvantages. Cord locks are often used in camping, backpacking, adjustment of parkas, and in aquatic operations. Thus, there is a considerable tendency toward corrosion and eventually inoperativeness of metal cord locks. Furthermore, such metal cord locks present sharp edges which tend to cut through the cord. In addition, there is nothing but the cord holding the parts together against the action of the spring, and if the cord is cut through, or if it is pulled entirely through the cord lock the parts may separate rather rapidly.
A step in the right direction is taken in the recently issued patent to Hutchison et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,605 wherein the parts, except for the spring, are made of plastic, thereby minimizing problems of corrosion and improving the situation as to cutting through of the cord or the like. In that patent means also is provided for rotational alignment of the parts which generally was not possible with the prior art metal cord locks. However, it was still found necessary to utilize a four-piece (including the spring) construction with the end of one of the cylinders being frictionally held in place augmented by sonic or solvent welding, or cementing. This end piece, being initially separate, requires a discrete part to be handled during assembly, and leaves the possibility of inadvertent separation while in use.